But what exciting and controversial subject am I going to broach in honour of the big

Actually, none. I'm just going to share with you some of the roughs that artist Tomasz Jedruszek did on his way to producing the UK cover for Grey Sister.

Bastien Lecouffe Deharme, artist for the US cover of Grey Sister (and who you may have heard of recently in connection of Terry Goodkind's latest cover) also did some great roughs, but didn't want me to share them. That's an attitude I can understand. Many writers wouldn't want their readers to see the first drafts of their books. But I can tell you that it is very interesting to see the artists' process.Like most authors my input into the cover is minimal and it is the publisher who directs the artist toward the result they want. Self-published authors cite the control they have over their covers as a freedom they cherish, and I can appreciate that. But on the flip side, I have no great confidence that my instincts for covers aligns closely with that of the hoped for readership of my books, and in one sense it is nice not to have to agonise about it.